Manoel da Assumpção that cannot be gleaned from his title page. Innocencio Francisco da Silva, who brought out his Diccionario Bibliographico Portuguez in 1840, refers to this omission on the part of Barbosa Machado but observes that the book had already become rare and he came across only one copy, that in Libraria de Jesus. Crepar Xastrer Orthbhed seems to have been more popular and went through two successive editions in 1836 and 1869. The second revised edition was printed at Serampore while the third edition wae published at Margão near Goa and copies of the first and the third editions are to be found in the Bibliotheca Nacional of Lisbon. The Calcutta copy unfortunately lacks the title page and the preface and I need not offer any apology for reproducing them here. The title runs as follows:
Crepar Xaxtrer Orth Bhed
Xixio Gurur Bichar
Fr Monoel da Assumpcãm, Liqhiassen O buzhaiassen Bengallate Baoal dexe, xon hazar xat xohopointix bossor Christor zormo bade. Bhetton corilo boro thacurque D Fr Miguel de Trvora Evorar xohorer arcebispo.
Lisboate Francisco da Sylvar xaze, Pataxaer quitaber xap sorinia xpor zormo bostore 1743.
Xocol uchiter hucume
It will be perceived that Manoel da Assumpção and his printers had for obvious reasons to make use of Roman scripts. Probably the author thought that it would be too much to expect the new arrivals from his country to learn an unfamiliar script as well as a novel tongue. “Xocol uchiter hucume” seems to be the literal translation of “com todas as licencas necessarias,” not a happy rendering in any case. In the preface the Bengali reader is addressed as follows:
